44-Year Old Surfer sets Guinness record riding 78-foot wave
The record-keeping agency is acknowledging a 44-year-old Hawaii pro surfer for catching a 78-foot wave off the coast of Portugal, saying the November run beats a 2008 record by more than 1 foot.
That's cool in itself.
But then here's what he said was his inspiration (other than his friends pushing him out the door that day...)
McNamara, who began surfing at age 11 and went pro at 17, said the achievement became more important to him when he realized it could help him urge more people to follow their passions.
"The world would be a much better place if everyone was doing what they wanted to do," he said.
That makes this and him...inspiring.
Inspiring Interview with Greg Oden, That Greg Oden.
"But what if you can't get back on the court?" I asked him. "What if a doctor examines you in the summer of 2013 and says that if you play basketball again, you might not be able to walk when you're 50?"
"I'd just have to accept it," Greg said. "I'm at peace with everything. I want more than anything to be able to play again. But if I can't, I'll still have a decent life. Getting cut (by Portland) kind of put everything into perspective. There's more to life than basketball, and at some point it's going to end anyway. I'm going to do what I can to get back on the court, but if it doesn't work out, I'll find something else to do and have a normal life."
Yes, in a lot of ways Greg Oden is still the same eighth grader who was uncomfortable with attention and just wanted to play basketball. For the next year or so, he'll finally get the privacy he always wanted. As for playing the game he loves, maybe he'll find the right franchise someday — the right coach, the right medical staff, the right teammates, the right everything. Or maybe he'll never play again.
But no matter what happens, he will find a way to survive, because he's been surviving all along.
Read the whole thing. I just clipped a snapshot in order to inspire you to read the whole article.
I never liked the guy. I'm from Iowa, that's one reason. I grew up in NC, that's another reason.
But after reading this post, I see more of what I didn't back then. Greg Oden's attitude inspires me.
Love is Making Its Way Back Home
Josh Ritter - Love Is Making Its Way Back Home from Josh Ritter on Vimeo.
Love this.
Via Curiosity Counts
We can go further
Just when you think you can't go any further, if your mind tells you that you can, then you just continue to go further," says Debbie Capozzi, the only member of Tunnicliffe's reigning world-champion crew to finish the session.
A short little piece, this article caught my attention.
Not for the current flag-waving bandwagon that rolls out every time someone mentions Navy SEALS.
What caught my attention was the inspiration these guys and their accomplishments offer all of us, anywhere, everywhere, every country, every nationality, every gender, young or old. Whether you sit at a desk, in a classroom or office, you're retired or just beginning your career...the principles of discipline, motivation, commitment, the ability to push ourselves farther...one step at a time, one challenge at a time are principles that help us achieve our next goal. And the next one. And the next one....Ultimately reaching our highest goals. And reaching those accomplishments with an inspiring degree of integrity, the type you can then share with others and create a ripple effect from our successes, large and small.
This inspired me.
